You are There Wherever I Go

     Psalm 139:7-12 "Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night," even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you." 
     Psalm 33:13-15 "The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all the children of man; from where he sits enthroned he looks out on all the inhabitants of the earth, he who fashions the hearts of them all and observes all their deeds." Jeremiah 23:24 "Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD." 2 Chronicles 16:9 "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him...."
     Proverbs 15:3 "The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good." Jeremiah 16:17 "For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes." Proverbs 5:21 "For a man's ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths." Job 34:21 "For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps." Hebrew 4:13 "And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account."

Lord, Watch Over Me

     Lord, watch over me because you know me. Psalm 139:1-4 "O' Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether." There is no time limit when he is watching over me. Psalm 121:8 "The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore." 
     Lord, as you watch over me please guide my path. Psalm 143:8 "Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Lord, deliver me from evil. Psalm 140:1,2 "Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men; preserve me from violent men, who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually." Lord watch over me so that my words and heart do not spread evil. Psalm 141:3,4 "Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! Do not let my heart incline to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds...."
     The Lord will teach me and counsel me while watching over me. Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eyes upon you." The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous. 1 Peter 3:12 "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil." The Lord will not sleep or slumber while watching me. Psalm 121:3,4 "He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber, Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep."
     The Lord watches over us because he loves us. He knows our minds and our hearts. He is there to guide us and to teach us. He watches over us to protect us from others and even from ourselves. He hears the prayers of the righteous and turns his face from the ones who are doing evil. Nothing is hidden from him. He knows everything that we do and say. It is comforting to know that he looks at us like a loving Father. He wants us to respect him as our Heavenly Father, to honor, obey and worship him with humility. He wants us to love him as he has loved us. He is our God and Heavenly Father, who watches over us as his children. 

Which is Ruling within Our Hearts?

     Which is ruling within our hearts? The way of kindness or the way of cruelty? The way of violence or the way of peace? What is happening within our hearts? Is evil and death using our hearts as a gateway into our world, bringing with them a pain and sorrow that the world has never known? Who are the ones that are resisting and fighting against the corruption of the heart? Money is given as the answer as the danger increases around us. Will it be that way until many of us is gone? 
     By a never ending darkness, we are lured into a sleep because our eyes are becoming to accustomed to the dark. What will we do when evil has complete control and tells us to do something that we cannot and will not do? Will we have the courage to resist and do what is right? Will we be overwhelmed by our fear and do as evil commands? What will we do when it all goes from bad to worse? Will we then do something before it is to late or is it already to late? If it is to late, then we will all suffer from our decisions. May there still be time for us to change.
    Soldiers marching through our streets and people's fear is growing out of control. What will happen, only time will tell. Is our civilization crumbling down in front of us? Has chaos finally taken control? Has compassion left our hearts and souls? Life matters but I fear that a lot of people would say that money matters more. There grows the darkness and the hopelessness in our world.
     O Lord save us from ourselves. Come to our rescue and bring hope back into our hearts. Let not our faith fade away but strengthen us so we can endure these hard times. Comfort us so to chase away our fear. Lord have mercy upon us and show us the way out of our troubles. Forgive us of not doing what is right. Let not our mind become so confused that it will turn us away from your guidance. You are our only hope for our future. Your son Jesus Christ is our salvation from the destruction we are bringing down upon ourselves. Let these hard to deal with times come to an end and may your kingdom come, and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.       

I am Thankful to God Every Day

     As I live my life, I somehow have this attitude that tomorrow will be a better day and that the answers that I am seeking will be just around a corner. This is so strange because I suffer from depression and depression is mostly a feeling of hopelessness and yet I have a positive attitude that keeps me going. I keep moving forward because I have a light within me that never goes out even when I experience my darkest days. I know out of God's mercy that he put that light within me and I am thankful to him every day.
     Most of my life I have prayed to God and believed in his word. He has been very important in my life. I have tried my best to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ and I have failed on many occasions but I have never given up. God has not given up on me and I will not give up on him. God has helped me so many times and I am so thankful for his help.
     So today, I will say that tomorrow will be a better day and I will find my answers that I am looking for because what is the alternative, that tomorrow will be a bad day and I will never find my answers, never let that be so. Everyone of us must have some kind of hope because hope gives us a reason to live. I have spent many days battling hopelessness in my depression and I know that having hope can save your life. I am thankful to God every day for giving us the hope that we need to live on.
     "Lord, let my eyes see the things that I cannot see and to know things that I cannot understand. Let not this world overwhelm me. There is a darkness that is within this world but let me not be consume by it. Let my eyes see the hope and the light that still shines. Lord, take pity on me and guide my steps so that I do not get lost. Our days are numbered so let my days be of service to you. A lot of us are suffering so please help us to overcome our troubles. Lord Jesus, please help us to dry our tears and find the hope that we are looking for. We need you in our lives and your spirit of love within our hearts. Every day, I am thankful for what you have done and what you will do for us in our future, Amen."
       

  

I am Sorry

      Do you feel like somedays of just saying I am sorry to no one in particular? It is a sorry that you think that some people want to hear because they think you are inadequate. You may want to say to them, "I am so sorry to be so disappointing to you. I am sorry to being not smart enough, not rich enough and not coming up to your expectations of me. Sorry for not being handsome or beautiful but just being average me." All you can do is make the best in what you have got and if that is not good enough. Then what else can you do? 
     What more can you do if you are doing your best? Maybe our society isn't interested in who we really are but who they want us to be. I do not have a genius brain or am I super extra special. So what can I do but to say, "I am sorry." You can try your hardest but you cannot please everyone. Somebody will still look at you and see faults and not like you at all.
     If someone does not like me for who I am because they think I am inadequate in someway, it is their problem and not mine. I am imperfect but I will not apologize because everyone of us is imperfect. I will not worry about that which I cannot change. You can work hard and study hard to achieve a goal that you have set for yourself and that is good. However you will always find people who will not respect you at all. So I say respect yourself and be satisfied in what you are doing in spite of those who would bring you down. No need to say, you are sorry if you are doing your best and living your life the best way you can.  
     

       

Flooded By to Much Information

     In his book: Every Moment Holy, Douglas Kaine McKelvey offers "A Liturgy For Those Flooded by too Much Information". Here is only what some of his liturgical prayer says.

In a world so wired and interconnected,
our anxious hearts are pummeled by
an endless barrage of troubling news.
We are daily aware of more grief, O Lord,
than we can rightly consider,
of more suffering and scandal
than we can respond to, of more
hostility, hatred, horror, and injustice
than we can engage with compassion.

But you, O Jesus, are not disquieted
by such news of cruelty and terror and war.
You are neither anxious nor overwhelmed.
You carried the full weight of the suffering
of a broken world when you hung upon
the cross, and you carry it still.

And yes, it is your good pleasure to accomplish
such works through your people,
but you have never asked any one of us
to undertake more than your grace
will enable us to fulfill.

Give us discernment
in the face of troubling news reports.
Give us discernment
to know when to pray,
when to speak out,
when to act,
and when to simply
shut off our screens
and our devices,
and to sit quietly
in your presence,

casting the burdens of this world
upon the strong shoulders
of the one who
alone
is able to bear them up.

Amen

What Matters?

      I do not like to repeat a post, however this particular post was only new for a short time. I wanted to give it more time to be read because it has a very important message for us. We do matter.

     What matters? You do and your every thought, your every word, your dreams and your hopes. Your laughter matters, your tears, your joy and your love. All that you are, matters. 
     Are you happy? Is your heart free? These things are important and they do matter. Oh! How we suffer because we are not valued by our world. Our life maybe nothing to them but to me our life is a precious gift from God. Our life does matter even if no one else thinks so. The Lord died for me and you so he does believe that we do matter.
     Within the hard-hearted ones, there is an absence of love but within the soft-hearted ones, a heart that continues to care. Life does matter to those who can still love. Life is precious in their eyes. They cherish it just as the Lord does. The hate we carry within our heart can destroy our lives but forgiveness and the love of God can save us. What is within your heart does matter.
     We look around us and try to make sense of it. We want to find our place upon this world. I asked this question, "Why do we even exist if it does not really matter?" We exist for a reason and I believe it was not just to die. There is something here to be learned and to be found and I will try my best to learn it and to find it.
     I found these things to be true in my life. The words of God gives me comfort and his promises gives me hope. People who unselfishly reach out and help others raises my spirit. People who believe in and practices the will of God lightens my soul. A man and woman who loves each other and their children makes me happy. A friend who can understand me and still cares, brings me much joy. A good meal, good health, a good summers day, a place to sleep at night, a place to call my home and being around my family and friends are the things that matters to me.
     The things of the heart and the things of the soul really matters to me and I believe it matters to you as well. I am not an island unto myself and separated from the world. I still wish to be apart of it in some positive way. I want to feel that I belong and will be respected by others. Our relationship to each other does matter. How we are treated and how we treat others matters greatly.
     Our life matters and all life around us. All things that we do or do not do effects our life. What really matters is our continuing of our life's journey from the beginning and to the end so to find all the things that truly matters to us.